The present invention relates to refrigerated merchandisers, and more particularly to refrigerated merchandisers that have doors and a refrigerated airflow directed along the doors.
Refrigerated merchandisers are used by grocers to store and display food items in a product display area that must be kept at a predetermined temperature. These merchandisers generally include a cabinet with an integrated refrigeration unit and have multiple shelves supported within the product display area. Doors positioned along the front side of the merchandiser separate the product display area from the ambient external conditions and allow for consumer access to the contents within. The doors typically include one or more panes of glass configured to minimize heat transfer while providing unimpaired visual access to the product display area.
Due to the conditions of the environment in which they operate, refrigerated merchandisers are susceptible to heat infiltration due to contact between cold air in the refrigerated space and the inner surfaces of the doors. Generally, as air flows downward along the front side of the merchandiser, a small layer of stagnant air forms between the airflow and the inside surface of the doors. This layer of stagnant air, known as a boundary layer of air, is very thin and is ineffective in limiting heat transfer through the doors.